Tag Archives: Men’s Grooming Essentials

Ever since I heard Philosophy was jumping into the men’s grooming arena, my interest was piqued. To some respects it felt late; I mean, the trend has been on the upswing for some time now. But if there’s a brand that could do it right, Philosophy surely could. Then I caught wind of the tag line: Prep, shave, hydrate. Simple? Yup. But it hits the right points so in my opinion, they started off on the right foot.

After using this new collection, which includes an all-in-one face and body scrub (Microdelivery), a 2-in-1 cleansing shave cream (Razor Sharp) and an oil-free gel moisturizer (Renewal Hope), I was a big fan but chose to wait and really put it to the test. I wanted to sit with it and put it through a number of shaving conditions. A few days of beard growth, using a new razor, days old razor, using the shaving cream with my hand and with a badger brush, medium beard growth and day old growth, etc., etc. And no matter what I put it through, it delivered exceptionally well. Here’s why this is worthy of your attention:

Scrub

I love a good exfoliator as it really preps your beard’s hair for the shave. Microdelivery is a gentle scrub that’s in gel form and contains provitamin b5 and glycerin. It also contains diatomaceous earth, a finely ground material clay that acts as a physical exfoliant. Bottom line, it’s gentle enough to use daily but leaves your skin feeling soft and moisturized.

Shaving Cream

I’m a badger brush lover. That said, when I can get a good lather with my hands, I’m in love. Razor Sharp can be used with or without a brush. Either way a creamy rich lather develops providing a nice cushion for your razor. I’ve thrown mine in my gym bag as it’s officially a morning essential.

Renewed Hope

Their men’s version of Hope in a Jar? Perhaps. It’s lightweight, not greasy and contains vitamin e and beta glucan. No sting factor here upon contact. Absorbs into the skin quickly leaving a matte finish. I absolutely love it.

Last but certainly not least, the collection has an excellent masculine scent that’s carried through each product. A fusion of bergamont, ginger and vetiver in manly without beating you over the head with bravado.

Sometimes being late is a good thing. Philosophy’s new collection is done so well, it leaves me desiring more from the brand. I hope they decide to stay as our skin will be better for it.

Like this:

Ever since I became a father, I haven’t had time for much other than being a father. As a result, my passions have shifted, things that I’m passionate about, have taken a backseat to my new responsibility. Don’t get me wrong, however, I love every minute of it.

Nevertheless, writing about grooming doesn’t seem to want to let me go. I don’t want to let it go either.

I am now a contributing writer for Bevel. If I wasn’t, I’d muster up the time to tell you how great I think this company is. Nevertheless, my first article for them, where I talk about the importance of priming oil, is live. I’ll be writing about shaving and hope you keep up with my posts.

Time is still elusive and I’m burning the midnight oil to write for them and hope to burn some more to get back to blogging here at Fragrantmoments. In the meantime, check me out over at Bevel.

If I pulled a bunch of my guy friends together and went down a scented memory lane, a few must haves from back in the day would be repeated, Polo in the green bottle, CK One, Cool Water, and Joop are a few that come to mind. One in particular was hands down a crowd favorite, Issey Myake. I remember having a conversation with my barber and the way he emphasized his fondness for the scent, it was though an outfit for a night out was incomplete without those final few sprays.

For the first time since dropping his beloved namesake scent, Issey Myake, the Japanese designer has released a new scent, Nuit D’Issey. On first sight, I thought it was another flanker because the bottle’s shape has remained the same. For this scent, Myake enlisted the noses of Dominique Ropion and Loc Dong and they’ve produced a crowd pleaser.

The scent’s opening is sharp and crisp and we can thank its grapefruit note for that. I also detect hints of pepper, which give it enough of a lift to spark curiosity. From there leather and woods give it a virility that we’ve come to expect from men’s fragrances.

Nuit D’Issey hits all the right notes and for that I expect it will be well received. Whether or not barbershops and cigar dens will be reminiscing about it a decade from now only time will tell.

Nuit D’Issey can be found nationwide at Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, & Sephora.

Now that we’re in the thick of summer, shaving can be a real chore…umm add to that grooming in general. While we’re taking off layers of clothing, the last thing we want to do is put on extra lotions, etc. I recently gave Dove Men Care Expert Shave Smoothing Shave Cream a test run and out the gate, it felt incredibly light against my skin – a win for the brutal summer months.

The Dove Men Care Expert Shave Cream is a partnership between Dove and leading barbers and dermatologists. It’s been formulated to give shavers adequate moisture, protect the skin and provide a smooth glide. Sound familiar, you bet. Does it deliver, indeed it does.

The first thing that caught my attention about the shave cream was it’s scent. It’s beautifully masculine without being being overly bravado. It smells like you’d want to smell all day. Next, the cream does produce a very good lather but it felt more foamy rather than creamy. I like a good lather and with just a tap into the shave cream, you can work up a good one. The more I worked it in, the frothier it became. The best part, and I suspect most men will appreciate this, it didn’t weigh down my face; it barely felt like it was there. In the summer time, that’s a beautiful thing.

On some occasions while testing the shave cream, I felt like it could have produced more glide. Some of the best shave creamsI’ve used, after the first pass, while there maybe little visible shave cream left on my face, what remains is a slick enough surface that allows my razor to glide with ease. That’s usually when I run my hand cross grain to find spots I missed. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not a big deal. You can always reapply more shave cream with what’s left over on your badger brush and doing so with this shave cream gave me the extra glide needed for subsequent passes.

Overall, the shave cream performs well. Even with its scent, which could be an issue for some, my face never felt dry.The collaborators also know a thing or two about packaging. My wife commented that it looks high end. It’s very well done.

Men can be fiercely loyal. When we find something we like, there’s no separating us. Take for instance my love of sweatpants. Over the years I’ve only had a few and I wore them to shreds. The most recent pair I was forced to part with had holes in both pockets but I loved them.

The same is true with grooming products. When it works, it’s hard to try anything else. As someone that loves to try new things, I still find myself using some of the same products. Lately, however, I felt the desire to use a new shaving cream so I blind bought a jar of The Body Shop’s Maca Root Shave Cream and I’m hooked.

To be completely honest, I reached into my pockets for this one because it was at an irresistible price. At $12, how could I go wrong? Nevertheless, what I observed before using it made the decision easier. Upon opening the tester, I noticed immediately its pleasant scent that reminded me of a barbershop. (The added chemicals from scent, however, could be a reason for concern…more on that in a bit) I also noticed its light and creamy texture, which is usually a good sign that it’ll build a nice lather.

From the very first shave, it lathered up beautifully. I didn’t notice the scent all that much and after more than 10 uses, I haven’t experienced any dryness or irritation. My face has felt incredibly soft and hydrated. Chalk that up to its use of Brazilian Nut Oil and Sesame Oil. What really impresses me about this shave cream is how close my shaves have been. I shave every day to avoid ingrown hairs but while I’m using this cream, when I’m ready for my next shave, my face feels like it can skip a day and I have. On one occasion, my wife ran her hand across my face and asked, “Did you just shave?” I said why and she replied, “Your face is so smooth.” While that may seem like it was taken right out of a commercial, it shocked me because she never mentions that sort of stuff. But I noticed it myself and it’s amongst the reasons why I think you should grab a jar for yourself. If you need another reason, consider this – a quick dab of your badger brush into the cream will produce a rich, frothy lather. At that rate, you’ll be sitting on this shave cream for a long time. The return on investment will continue yielding benefits.

My badger brush has been unusually dry lately. Saying that in the month of Movember wouldn’t ordinarily raise an eyebrow but I’m only growing my stache so I’ve had a reason to use it. I, however, began using Neutrogena Men Razor Defense Shave Gel and I’m hooked.

From first use I noticed how well it protected my face from my DE safety razor. One press of the pump and I had enough gel to apply to my face, which resulted in a nice cushion. Each time I tested it, I got the same result. I love building that cushion with my brush, but with this gel I did the same thing in no time.

Any cream, gel, shave cream or soap, etc., worth your money should never leave your face feeling dry and tight. Conventional shaving wisdom today also says stay away from pressurized aerosol cans because the extra chemicals used will dry out your skin. From my very first use of this product, I noticed how great my skin felt post shave. No burning, no tightness, no irritation nothing. My razor glides across my face with ease due to the glycerin the gel is formulated with. What I’m left with is a great shave in half the time and a face that couldn’t be happier about it.

I love using my brush too much to put it down for good but Neutrogena Men Razor Defense Shave Gel gave it a nice break. As I look to the New Year and I think about getting back into the gym and wonder how I can keep my grooming regimen tight when I’m on the go, this gel can become my go to. If your concern is how can you speed it up in the morning and you’re looking to try something new, give this a shot. I think you’ll be hooked too.